Erectile Dysfunction May Signal Bigger Health Problems – Expert

The problem of erectile dysfunction (ED) is one that older men often face, but it is not a consequence of ageing. Instead, ED very often indicates an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed, a top doctor says. “Although erectile dysfunction occurs more commonly as a man ages, this doesn’t mean that it’s an inevitable part of the ageing process.

But what it often does mean is that something is medically wrong and should be checked out,” said Dr. Blaine Kristo, a boardcertified urologist with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore in the United States (U.S). Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual activity. According to Kristo: “Erections are all about blood flow.

An erection occurs when blood flow increases into the penis, making it expand and become firm. Your arteries have to be healthy enough to accommodate this increased blood flow, so the penis becomes firm and stays that way. When this happens, the penis compresses the veins, so the blood stays there and doesn’t flow out.”

“Cardiovascular disease is also our number one (health risk). So, it is no surprise why ED is most common here,” he added. About 12 per cent of younger men experience ED, but this climbs to 22 per cent for men between ages 60 and 69, and 30 per cent for those over 70, according to the U.S. Department of Health Services. Regardless of age, if a man is experiencing ED regularly, he needs to see his doctor for a complete physical, said Kristo.

“It’s the canary-in-thecoal- mine thing. Coal miners used to take canaries into the mines to see if they lived because, if not, it was early indicator that the oxygen supply was low. It is the same with ED; if you’re not capable of getting or sustaining an erection, it is likely an indicator that something is medically wrong,” he said.

According to Kristo, the main culprits in causing ED are diseases that affect the body’s cardiovascular system, which is the network of arteries and veins that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body and return it back to the heart. Five medical conditions that are most likely to cause ED include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

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